Spending a week living on a boat and riding a bicycle on the Amalfi Coast was magical. Alexandra was an amazing tour guide and the other 3 couples we shared the space with were delightful (thank goodness!)
Here are three lessons I learned from this adventure:
Mindset –Optimism can be too much of a good thing! I’ve been riding a bicycle for almost 10 years. I live in Atlanta, where there are some very big hills. I felt like I was in good shape. I saw the terraces we were going to climb on the second day of riding. 5 vertical hills back to back with no warm up at all – in my mind, I had this. The problem was I attacked that hill with confidence and did not listen to my guide. She said “go slow in granny gear – one and one.” I thought, I am a hill climber, I got this and off I went like Speedy Gonzalez. Into the second hill, I had a hard time catching my breath. During the third terrace, I thought I may have to stop – what?? I never stop. At the fourth terrace, if I did not stop, I feared I would have a cardiac arrest. I stopped, took a break and finally made it to the top of the hill with a bruised ego and very tired lungs.
Lesson #1 – Go slow to go fast and take what the experts say to heart.
Self-Care –The foundation of a good vacation is good Self-Care. That looks different for everyone. For me, taking time to both be in the moment of the beauty of Italy (the gift of very limited Wifi) and writing in my journal, reflecting on what we experienced each day was an imperative part of my self-care. This combination was as delicious as pizza and wine.
Lesson #2 – Be in the moment and reflect on the good things that happen each and every day. This will shift your neural pathways and increase your Joy Factor!
Business –Always be prepared. One of the women on our boat was the Director of Catering for a large organization in Wisconsin. Even though I was there to relax, when the opportunity presented itself, we talked about our professional passions and I hope to be speaking at a conference in Wisconsin sometime soon.
Lesson #3 – Always have business cards and listen for the opportunity where what you do can complement what someone else does.
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